sightings

it's now okay to play

For Bay Area sailors who get out on the water all year round, the concept of Opening Day on the Bay (April 27 this year) is a bit of a head-scratcher. Nevertheless many local mariners embrace the tradition religiously each spring by strutting their stuff as they parade down the Cityfront. One guy who we'd bet wouldn't miss the wind-blown pageantry for this world is Kerry Brown of the one-off Blue Seas 42 Cetacea. For him, it's become an annual tradition to round up a swashbuckling crew of buccaneer-ettes, dress them up in their finest pirate garb, and show off shamelessly as they pass the judge's stand. In the group shot on the right, he explains that Kerry and his cadre of wenches had a front row seat to watch "the scowling, sulthe J/70s racing, as 'Cetacea' paraded along the Cityfront. try, seductress (far left) is wearing a necklace with effi gies of all captains she has seduced and dispatched to Davy Jones' Locker in her quest to become NoBeard, the Piratess, Queen of the Seas." Works for us. So if you've been waiting for the green light to get out on the water and play, by all means get on with it. Opening Day was a month ago and the summer season of racing and recreating on the Bay is in full swing. We'll see you out there.

— andy van ommen replaces fl eetwood

We're delighted to report that Jack van Ommen of Gig Harbor, Washington, has found a replacement boat. You'll remember that the 77-year-old lost his much-loved Naja 30 Fleetwood, which he'd owned for 33 years, to a storm off Spain's Balearic Islands on November 16 of last year. Van Ommen is one of Latitude's heroes for having sailed built-from-a-kit Fleetwood to 50 countries over a period of eight years. He started after going bankrupt, with nothing to his name but the boat and $1,800 a month in Social Security checks. Van Ommen talks about his new boat: "In mid-April I purchased Mariah, a near sistership, and have rechristened her Fleetwood. She was built from one of the three Naja 30 kits that I imported from Whisstocks of England in 1980. Original owner Todd Dhabolt did an exceptional job on putting the boat together, and he was the one who got me in contact with her most recent owner. "Unlike my original Fleetwood, the new one has a masthead rig and the mast is keel-stepped. She also has a sugar scoop rather than a transom hung rudder." Van Ommen's fi rst Naja 30 was the last one to be built with nails holding the plywood planking together. Because the nails would expand in heat and contract in the cold, he had to epoxy the recesses almost every year. His new Naja has the planking screwed together, a superior method. "I keep fi nding features on the new boat that are defi nitely better thought out," he says with enthusiasm. "And I know the boat has 50,000 less ocean miles worth of wear and tear, so I'm happy." Van Ommen got the new boat for a favorable price. "I paid $7,000, which was my budget, and she came with a decent sail inventory, including a newish main, a SSB radio, and a 10-hp Italian diesel. I may eventually have to replace the diesel with something more powerful." If you're reading this while it's hot off the press, you have time to catch the much-anticipated launch of the historic sloop Freda May 31 at Sausalito's Spaulding Wooden Boat Center (located at the end of Gate Five Road). Why should you care? Because she is the last remaining example of America's earliest style of recreational sailing craft. Built in Belvedere, and fi rst launched in

COUTESY CETACEA

historic sloop freda

to launch may 31

1885, she has been undergoing a meticulous piece-by-piece refi t for eight years. So if you've got a soft spot in your heart for splendid wooden vessels, this is one launch you won't want to miss. There'll be a barbecue and live music, and the crowd will contain a who's who of Bay Area wooden boat affi cionados. Dock opens at 11 a.m.; splash at 12:30. — andy

van ommen — continued

Van Ommen originally thought he'd buy a replacement boat on the East Coast so that it would be convenient for him to sail the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi. "But I couldn't have found a similar quality replacement boat for the price on the East Coast, or a design that I knew so well," he said. "After nearly 50,000 miles, I am totally sold on the chined plywood construction. I looked into shipping the boat to Thunder Bay on Lake Ontario, from where I would begin sailing the Great Lakes and then down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. But the cost is out of the question, so I plan to head toward

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Cap'n Kerry (center) and his fl amboyant crew were jubilant on Opening Day, except for the "sultry seductress" on the far left. She'd like us to believe she's a bad-ass buccaneer who decapitates her victims, but we're not buying it.

van ommen — continued

the Panama Canal late this summer, then pick up from where I left off The original concept of Summer Sailin the Eastern Caribbean in 2007. I need to do that or sail to Florida stice, June 21 this year, was simply to use to have completed my circumnavigation." the annual summer solstice phenomenon "I'm dying to get sailing again," he told Latitude. After completing his as an excuse to encourage folks to go out circumnavigation, van Ommen plans to sail to Cartagena, then land- sailing and celebrate the arrival of sumtravel down the Pacifi c Coast of South America. mer. No big deal. He's not sure what he'll do after that, perhaps sail But today this annual celebration has the East Coast of the United States again. become a very big deal in many prime When van Ommen lost his boat in November, he sailing venues around the world — even had nothing to his name but a few thousand dol- in the Southern Hemisphere where it's lars, his computer, and lots of very good friends. actually the winter solstice on that day. Many of these friends, inspired by the humble Check the website (www.summersailsailor's accomplishments with such a humble boat, stice.com) and you'll see that there's no have asked if they might help him equip his new cost to enter, but doing so makes you Fleetwood. Van Ommen is not asking for money, eligible for all sorts of cool swag and but he says if anyone — such as those of us at Lati- prizes, including a BVI bareboat charter tude — wants to contribute, we can send checks to from Footloose. Jack van Ommen, Fleetwood, c/o Arabella's Land- You'll also fi nd listings of all sorts of ing Marina, 3323 Harbor View Drive, Gig Harbor, Sailstice-inspired events, including raftJack van Ommen WA 98332. This will help him buy things like a ups, races and parties. liferaft, dinghy, folding bike, foul weather gear, and such. Here in the Bay Area, there are a dozen If you're interested in maps and details on where van Ommen has SS events, including the annual celebracruised, go to www.cometosea.us/?page_id=2. Jack says he created tion at the Encinal YC. "Plan to sail into the page for the benefi t of those who mistakenly believe that you need EYC for a full day of music, exhibits, a lot of money to go cruising. "What you really need," he says, "is to a boat building contest, seminars and keep the boat small, the equipment simple, and choose your routes more," urges organizer John Arndt. (See carefully." This from a man who clearly knows what he's talking about. www.summersailstice.com/sf.) We'll be — richard giving a seminar there on Latitude rallies.

celebrate summer

It's become an annual tradition for a group of Club Nautique members — who call themselves Rogue Hump Nighters — to sail the Bay on Wednesday evenings from October to April. As Captain Rod Witel reports, "On April 30th 38 Rogues rafted fi ve boats together in McCovey Cove to cheer on the Giants. It was 80 degrees at 7:05 for the fi rst pitch — the warmest SF Giants night game EVER! The evening was capped off by the balmiest late-evening sail back to Sausalito and Alameda that anyone could remember."

sailstice june 21 kaufmans break silence on rescue

The Sailstice party at the Encinal YC is sure to be big fun.

Another popular meet-up is among

Delta Doo Dah sailors, who'll congregate this year at Tiki Lagun (see www.deltadoodah.com for details). The organizers also encourage everyone to support the virtual circumnavigation on behalf of

Sailors for the Sea. (Details at: www. summersailstice.com/article/join-virtualcircumnavigation-save-oceans.) If you don't see a Summer Sailstice event that appeals to you, start your own.

But by all means, go sailing!

— andy In an era when sound-bite journalism and short attention spans are the norm, it was no surprise that the dramatic South Pacifi c rescue of the Rebel Heart crew — two young parents and their 3- and 1-year-old daughters — quickly faded from the media spotlight shortly after the family returned safely to San Diego on April 11 aboard the USS Vandegrift. That's exactly what parents Eric and Charlotte Kaufman hoped would happen. But they promised to share all the details, and correct widespread media reporting errors on their ordeal, once their story had become yesterday's news. On May 11, a full month after returning home, they fi nally broke their silence in an NPR segment called This American Life. (Available online as a podcast.) While some questions remain unanswered, the Kaufmans did clarify many key elements that led to their decision to set off REBEL HEART their EPIRB, effectively laying the ground- One-year-old Lyra gets some face work for being rescued, yet knowing they time with one of her rescuers. would have to scuttle their boat to do so. The Hans Christian 36 had been their only home of eight years. Here's a synopsis of clarifi ed facts: According to Eric, on their 15th day out, the day before they called for help, they sailed into the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where they met with strong winds and big seas. Charlotte explains that they were knocked down several times. But one particular broach stressed the boat so much

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rebel heart — continued

that it began leaking along the starboard hull-deck joint and elsewhere (unspecifi ed). The resulting infl ow of sea water was estimated at 60 or 70 gallons per day. Meanwhile, one-year-old Lyra had been ill since day seven. As Charlotte explains, the infant developed a widespread rash, had diarrhea, and became lethargic. During a sat phone call, Lyra's doctor advised that she be given the amoxicillin that was carried on board. When there was no improvement after two days, Eric called in a panpan to the US Coast Guard to advise them of his family's situation. But because his (unnamed) sat phone service provider had reportedly mailed out new SIM cards to customers, then deactivated the old ones, that pan-pan was the last sat phone call Eric was able to make. Rebel Heart was equipped with an HF radio, but Eric was unable to make outside contact with it, and suspected its usefulness had been compromised by the incoming seawater. The couple discussed their options, with Eric calculating that it would be another three weeks before they would arrive in the Marquesas — if their pumping could keep up with the incoming water. "What would you do?" he asks rhetorically of his radio audience. As Charlotte explains, the decision was heartbreaking: "You know if you hit the EPIRB, help will come, but that if you hit it your home is gone." — andy

tragedy on the kona coast

The most heartbreaking story to cross our radar this month was the loss of the Ventura-based Nordic 40 Seaquel, May 18, on the Kona coast of the Big Island. Skipper John Berg, 52, who is completely blind, and three sighted crew had safely arrived a week earlier at Hilo, on the opposite side of Hawaii Island, after a 21-day, 2,800-mile passage from Banderas Bay, Mexico. For Berg, it was undoubtedly a life-affi rming accomplishment, but he barely had time to savor his success before tragedy struck. At about 11:30 p.m. on that Sunday night, while he and his remaining crew, Dina Peters, were relocating Seaquel to Honokohau Harbor, on the west side of the island, the sloop was driven onto a rocky, reef-strewn shoreline near the old Kailua Kona airport in the middle of the night — just three miles from safe harbor. The explanation of what went wrong portrays a truly 21st-century dilemma. Berg had been navigating for weeks without a problem using iNavX software on his iPad, which was interfaced with the Seen here during his trip down the Baja vessel's GPS. That night they Peninsula last October, John Berg is said to were headed for a waypoint be a remarkably skilled sailor. offshore of Honokohau, which lies north of Kialua Kona town. All of a sudden the screen was taken over by a system request to log in to FaceTime, an Apple resource, then another request to log in to the iCloud. No matter what Berg and Peters did, they couldn't clear the screen and log back in to iNavX. Berg also had that software on his iPhone, but he hadn't entered the waypoint there. The boat's built-in chartplotter had a system that displayed NOAA charts, but Berg says that proved inadequate. "I should have just said, 'Hang a hard left', until we sorted things

JOHN DOUR

pac cup takes

Following in the wake of the Singlehanded TransPac to Hawaii, which begins June 28, the Pacifi c Cup fl eet will head west under the Golden Gate in staggered started between July 6 and 11. This year's PacCup will have many new and improved features that we're sure participants and their families are certain to appreciate. The new PacCup Village at Richmond YC will host a series of special events to entertain sailors from June 30 to July 6. There will be live music, guest speakers, food trucks, a raw bar and hopefully even fi reworks on the Fourth of July — if there isn't any fog! Race organizers are putting forth a huge effort to keep everyone entertained during their stay in the islands. This year, PacCup Village services include: Breakfast and lunch, berthing, marine services shuttle and provisioning services, and a concierge service provided by Sonnen BMW. Impressive.

it up a notch

For more info, check out the brand new PacCup App which will be available soon for smart phone users. Another innovation this year is that Latitude 38 will be sponsoring Division E, and we assume other organizations will support other divisions. We're also excited to report that Leslie Richter will be The new PacCup app. the event's offi cial photographer, which should enhance our coverage substantially.

— ross

seaquel — contnued

out, but I didn't. It was totally my screw-up." Before they could fi nd a software solution, they heard the sound of surf crashing and they knew they were in big trouble. Once they grounded, the two sailors tethered themselves together, and were able to swim and scramble across the rocks and reef to safety, again without harm. Assessing the damage the next morning, an utterly stunned and depressed Berg told Hawaii resident John Dour, simply, "I fucked up." Ironically, Dour, a former California resident, had lost his own boat a few years ago when she sank in her slip while he was working out of state. He's been living a Spartan lifestyle near the wreck site ever since. Because Berg had no insurance and lacked the means to organize a salvage operation himself, the Hawaii department of Land and Natural Resources took on the challenge of removing the hull from the reef-strewn shelf where she grounded. It only took a few hours to reduce it to a heap of splintered waste. We met Berg when he sailed south with the Baja Ha-Ha rally last fall, and found him to be an athletic, hands-on guy who prides himself on his self-suffi ciency despite his loss of vision. Before cruising he had lived aboard Seaquel in Ventura for more than a decade with his daughter Sidney. "He knows his Nordic 40 like the back of his hand and happily goes forward to raise, reef, and lower his hanked-on

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By the time this shot was taken the big south swells had lain down along the Kona coast, although the night before they were huge. But it was a software issue that doomed 'Seaquel'.

seaquel — continued

headsail in all kinds of weather," said BHH crewman John Harold. "He’s physically fi t and would rather pull up the anchor by hand than install a windlass." Berg has been sailing since the mid-1970s. Although stoic about his misfortune and eager to move on, Berg says, "I really can't imagine being away from the water." Who knows, maybe someone out there has a replacement boat to offer this deserving mariner. If so, email: editorial@latitude38.com. Our hearts go out to Berg, and we certainly hope he'll be out sailing again soon. — andy cruiser undaunted by la paz accident

Those new to the cruising scene are often deeply impressed by the supportive nature of sailing communities, especially in Mexico — and

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lovely ouessant

Sadly, the lovely 38-ft Farallone Clipper Ouessant was unceremoniously Tboned May 17, while on starboard tack at the starting line of Sausalito YC's annual Women Skipper's Regatta. As you can see by the painful image below, the oncoming Catalina 30 Adventure was on port tack when it slammed into Ouessant, which is hull #14 of this venerable San Francisco-centric class. She was launched in 1957. After purchasing her two years ago, energetic young skipper Jennifer Hinkel made substantial upgrades to Ouessant, including all new rigging and a bright new

OUESSANT

takes a bruising

transom. While understandably upset initially by the seemingly inexplicable port-starboard smash-up, Jennifer now has a pragmatic, upbeat attitude about the mishap. "Hey, it happens. She's made out of wood, and can be fi xed." Shipwright Loyal Tarbet, who did the previous upgrades, is making a laundry list of needed repairs: "There's a lot of deep 'skeletal' damage," he says, including replacing a sheer clamp, frames and planks. Yes, Adventure is insured. We hope to see Ouessant sailing the Bay again by the fall. — andy

"Starboard!" 'Ouessant's skipper Jennifer Hinkel (far left) throws the helm hard to port in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid getting whacked. The collision drove the Clipper's starboard side into the committee boat, 'Mercury', which was also hit by 'Adventure' moments later. Luckily, no one was injured. Losing a limb won't stop John Spicher from experiencing the wonders of the Sea of Cortez. Posing here surrounded by the supportive staff of Marina Palmira, the recovering sailor wears his 'soul sailor' Baja Ha-Ha T-shirt.

undaunted — continued

particularly in times of need. That observation was well illustrated by both cruisers and marine business people in La Paz recently, in the aftermath of a tragic dinghy accident that ultimately caused its victim, John Spicher of the Anacortes, WA-based Coast 34 Time Piece to lose his left leg below the knee.

As reported earlier, Spicher was attempting to help the owner of a runaway dinghy, whose driver had fallen out without wearing a kill cord, when Spicher was struck multiple times by the high-revving outboard. Jeanne Walker of the La Paz-based Eagle writes: "John Spicher, who now calls La Paz, Mexico home, returned after being gone for two months. . . John’s injuries required medical air evacuation to San Diego and ultimately the decision to amputate his lower left leg. "As John has been living in the La Paz area since the 2011 Baja Ha-Ha, he no longer carried US medical insurance. The cruising community in La Paz rallied around and held several fundraisers for John, raising close to $9,000. At the time of the accident, John’s boat was in the city anchorage. It was moved to Marina Palmira. The marina pitched in with one month's free moorage and a discount for several additional months. "John will be receiving his fi rst prosthesis shortly. After a bit of time visiting family and friends in the States, he plans to return to La Paz and get back to sailing in the Sea of Cortez." Spicher has lived aboard Time Piece for the past 14 years. While participating in the Ha-Ha, he won his division, and earned the designation of "soul sailor" for having sailed the entire route. If you’d like to help John out with his enormous medical expenses, donations can be made at PayPal via svtimepiece@gmail.com.

— andy

excellent news from mexico

If you're thinking about sailing to Mexico this fall with the Baja Ha-Ha or on your own, and have been concerned about a possible repeat of last year's disastrous AGACE audits of foreign-owned boats, which resulted in many innocent boats being impounded for up to four months, we don't think there is much reason to worry any longer. Tere Grossman, president of the Mexican Marina Owners Association, as well as Neil Shroyer of Marina de La Paz, and Enrique Fernandez of Puerto Los Cabos, report that they went to Mexico City in May, where they had very productive meetings with offi cials of

mexico — continued

SAT (the Mexican IRS), SCT (Mexican ports and port captains), and Tourism. "We met with the Administrator for Customs, and he showed us the changes that will be made to the Temporary Import Permit forms," reports Grossman. "The new forms will have more information than the old ones, and will begin being used in July." (A temporary version of the new form has already been attached to some old TIPs.) It was the lack of information and clarity on the previous generations of TIPs that confused a lot of SAT agents, who had been inadequately trained. That resulted in many innocent boats being unfairly impounded. While the old forms — such as Latitude's cat Profl igate's ancient 20-Year Temporary Import Permit — are still good, new ones are only about $50, so we plan on getting a shiny new one. "I think that's a good idea," said Shroyer. He also reports that if there is some incorrect information on a boat owner's current TIP, he/she can visit a Banjercito branch up until the end of the year and get that information corrected or updated. Grossman and Fernandez also visited with Lic. Francisco Maas, the Undersecretary of Tourism, and asked if it wouldn't be possible for someone from Immigration to come to San Diego for the Ha-Ha KickOff Party October 26 to clear the 500-600 participants into Mexico before leaving San Diego. Maas said he will do his best to make that happen. We'll see. Thanks to better TIPs, more educated auditors and personnel at Banjercito branches, and harbormasters and boat owners better understanding what AGACE wants, we don't foresee any trouble in the upcoming season. It's also important to note that almost all of the necessary documents can be obtained prior to leaving for Mexico. For details, see Latitude's First-Timer's Cruising Guide to Mexico, which is downloadable for free from www.baja-haha.com. Meanwhile, here is a list from Shroyer of what's needed. Necessary Documents: 1) Passports for the entire crew. 2) FMM Visitor Cards or other immigration document for Non Mexicans. 3) Original vessel documentation. 4) Original Temporary Import Permit (TIP). 5) Proof of liability insurance. Required by law and marinas. 6) Fishing Permits: If you're carrying fishing gear get one for at least one person. 7) Original Mexico International Clear in Document or Crew List document. 8) Letter of Authorization if a captain is to be left in charge of the boat. 9) Notarized permission letter for children who are minors if they are not accompanied by both their parents. • Passports — Rules now require foreigners traveling to Mexico, including U.S. citizens, to show a passport to enter Mexico. (Land crossing to-from Mexico may be exempt.) If going to Mexico on a vessel get your passport. • Tourist Cards — Foreigners traveling to Mexico must obtain a Mexican “Tourist Card” now called a FMM Visitor card (Forma Migratoria Multiple de Visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas). The cost is $306 pesos in 2014 (about $27 USD). Or a visa, if you are from a country from whch Mexico requires you to have a visa. (See Mexican consular website). The FMM Visitor card can be obtained upon arrival at your fi rst offi cial port of entry, and paid for at a bank after visiting the local immigration offi ce. You may also prepay the FMM Visitor card online prior to your departure to Mexico, or before visiting the local immigration offi ce at the fi rst port of entry. This can be done by going to www.banjercito. com.mx/registroEmbarques/. It is a good idea to do this before you

ALL PHOTOS STEVE PEREIRA

one man's

To say that Allen Gross was thrilled to fi nally relaunch his vintage, 32-ft sloop Folly, would be a collosal understatement. After completing an exhaustive eight-year refi t, he was practically ecstatic to see his 'mistress' of 38 years gently drop into the Bay at San Francisco Boatworks last month. Built in North Beach to an Edward Burgess design in 1889 — just four year's after the famous sloop Freda, her ballasted, full-keel design represented a 'radical' departure from the beamy centerboard sloops of the era. As you might imagine, during her 125 years she's had a very colorful history.

love affair mexico — continued

Gross can easily quote the highlights of her racing victories and notable former owners extemporaneously without hardly taking a breath. He really ought to write a book about her — although there's already been at least one volume dedicated to her: Anitra Marsland's 1953 classic: I Married a Boat. Gross' almost singlehanded effort drew praise from many vintage boat buffs. John Muir of San Francisco Maritime said, "Saving Folly, with her unique hull lines, is a great gift to San Francisco Bay yachting history." So cheers to Folly! — andy depart for Mexico, since you will have proof of payment of the FMM Visitor card form even if you do not have the FMM Visitor card itself. At the fi rst offi cial port of entry you present the payment receipt and they will proceed to fi ll out, stamp and give you the card valid for up to 180 days. • We recommend that when you fi ll out the information requested on the web page, do so individually, one person at a time, so you will get one receipt for each person in that person´s name. To do this you state that there is only one person on board the vessel in "Step 2" of the process. If you say two people you will be billed for two people, but get one receipt in the name of the person fi lling out the form. It will be valid for two people. The payment online is the only payment required for the FMM Visitor card; you will not be charged again when they issue the document at the port of entry immigration offi ce. Please note: the FMM Visitor Card can no longer be renewed inside

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After years of anticipation, 'Folly's relaunch last month was a joyous affair. Center: Allen Gross (on right) with David Marsland, who holds a copy of his grandma Anitra's book, " I Married a Boat."

mexico — continued

Mexico beyond the original 180 days. If the original FMM Visitor Card is for less than 180 days you can get it extended for up to 180 days. • Boat Documents — Every boat must carry current vessel documentation that proves ownership and registry. Proof of ownership of the vessel (and trailer, if this is the case) may be shown by means of any of the following documents: invoice, rental contract, title, and in all cases Certifi cate of Documentation or Registry issued by the country or state of registration. • Temporary Import Permit — All vessels are required to have a Temporary Import Permit when in Mexico. A TIP can be obtained either on line before you depart for Mexico or at the fi rst offi cial port of entry. Apply on line for a Temporary Import Permit 12 to 60 days before you depart at www.banjercito.com.mx/registroVehiculos/ or get it at a Banjército CIITEV offi ce at one of the following Mexican ports of entry: Ensenada, La Paz, Guaymas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and possibly others. However, Cabo San Lucas does not have a Banjército

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LJUBO GAMULIN

airfare discount

Signups for October's Baja Ha-Ha rally are going strong, with 60 boats signed up that range in size from Sara and Peter Gebhard's Massachusetts-based Kadey Krogen 55 trawler Choisi (yes, we allow motorboats) to Danne Faber's Sausalitobased Rhodes Annapolis 30 Petrel. This year's event will have more offi cial sponsors than ever, so participants can expect lots of special offers including deep discounts at marinas in San Diego and along the coast. One offering that's new this year is airfare discounts of 7% on Alaska Airlines for all crew fl ying from one of the fi rm's departure cities to San Diego, and home from Cabo. The offer includes family and

for ha-ha'ers

friends who will fl y to Cabo and back to join in the end-of-rally participants. True, 7% isn't an enormous discount, but it will leave you some extra margarita money, and Alaska Air is defi nitely one of the best carriers serving Cabo. They have so many fl ights that they have their own terminal. All offi cially registered boat owners will be sent an explanitory fl yer about the Alaska deal in their entry packets, which will be mailed out early this month. (Basically, you just enter a special code when booking fl ights to get the discount.) All sorts of other sponsor offers will be included, along with an offi cial burgee. — andy

"Anybody up for a cool, juicy watermelon?" Combining entrepreneurship, maritime history, philanthropy and more, the Great Watermelon Voyage is a winner all the way around.

mexico — continued

offi ce, so a TIP cannot be obtained there. (We recommend Ensenada, for vessels entering Mexico on the Pacifi c side). • The vessel may be considered illegally in Mexico if it does not have a TIP and subject to fi nes and/or confi scation. Temporarily Imported Vessels cannot be sold in Mexico and chartering requires Mexican permits. • Insurance — All vessels in Mexican waters are required to havve liability insurance. • Fishing Licenses — Only individual fi shermen need fi shing licenses, not the vessel. Licenses can be acquired for a day, week, month or a year. In San Diego they can be obtained from: Mexican Dept. of Fisheries, 2550 Fifth Ave., Ste. 15 (corner of 4th and Laurel) (619) 233-4324. They can also be purchased online: http://apps.bcs.gob. mx/fi nanzas/fi naweb/fonmar/ This page is in Spanish but is fairly simple. It is a Baja California Sur State page, but the fi shing licenses issued are federal and for all Mexican waters. • Clearing Into and Out of Mexico — You must clear in internationally at the fi rst offi cial port of entry. (Special arrangements may be made for the Baja Ha-Ha.) The clear-in process involves fi lling out the Crew List Document, going to immigration to get it stamped and have the FMM Visitor Cards issued for all passengers, then going to the port captain's offi ce with the form to pay the Clear-In Fee and have the document stamped. In some ports you may be required to pay a Port Use Fee with the API (Port Administrator). • Clearing Into and Out of Domestic Ports "Cabotage." If you are going from one port to another within Mexico, all that's required is that you inform the port captain or marina of your arrival or departure by means of an "Aviso" or "notifi cation." Depending on the port captain, some require the notifi cation be in writing, while others allow for verbal notifi cation via VHF radio channel 16. In some ports you must pay the port use fee wth API when arriving and anchoring. — richard the great watermelon voyage

We've reported on all sorts of sailing projects linked to worthwhile causes, but the Great Watermelon Voyage is defi nitely unique. As Bay Area sailor Jim Bender explains, the second GWV will take place this summer in the Dalmation Islands of Croatia. It introduces students and young adults to the region's rich maritime history by sailing interisland aboard 18th-century replica cargo vessels rigged for rowing and sailing. "These boats traditionally are sailed with large lateen-rigged sails," explains Jim, "or rowed in the Venetian style, standing with oars that extend across the deck." Where do the watermelons come in? The crews will load their boats — called braceras — to the gunwales with melons and sell them at a substantial profi t to European cruisers and charterers out in the sun-baked Dalmation anchorages. The proceeds will go to the Maestral Home for Children near Split. "The students will learn the arts of seamanship, the natural and social history of the islands, and help their community," says Jim Bender and his daughter. Jim. To learn more about this juicy entrepreneurial project, email Jim at james.s.bender@gmail.com or visit adriatic-maritime.org, an NGO dedicated to using traditional boats as a platform for youth development and maritime preservation in the Adriatic.

airbnb on the water?

We're going to assume that all readers have heard of Airbnb (Air Bed & Breakfast), the wildly successful website that allows people to rent out lodging. The still privately-owned San Francisco-based company has over half a million listings in 33,000 cities in 192 countries. We also presume that everyone knows how controversial the concept is. For those with lodgings — even if they are just renting — it has become a sudden way to offset expenses or in some cases even make a profi t from something they might not even own. Opponents of the service say that it results in unknown strangers suddenly showing up with keys to the entrances of condominiums and apartment buildings. Cities, of course, are furious because they often aren't getting their cut of the action. Until recently, we weren't aware that those with boats are also using Airbnb to rent out lodging space. We got the news thanks to Roy Wessbecher of Harbor, Oregon, a member of Latitude's Frugal Cruising Hall of Fame.

Comfy V-berth. "I'm still — sort of — at the helm of Breta, the Columbia 34 Mk II that I circumnavigated on many years ago," writes Wessbecher. "Here's part of the notice I'm running in Airbnb:" "Folks biking the Oregon Coa st Bike Route or hiking the Oregon Coast Trail, take an overnight berth on a boat that sailed around the world. No worries, she's now a 'land-yacht' — safe, calm, quiet, and on a trailer. Add an adventure to your adventure by coming aboard. What makes the space unique? Everything. It's not a hotel, not a campsite, somewhat like a youth hostel, but not really. She's much roomier than the photos show, and she has hard-knocks character! Advertised originally as "The 7-sleeper for 7-footers," but one to four guests is ideal." Prices start at $26 per night per person. Most of the other Airbnb boat listings we've seen are for vessels in places like Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and Paris, and often start at $400 a night. Before anybody gets any ideas about Airbnb-ing their own boat, they might want to look into liability issues, specifi cally whether their insurance remains in effect if the boat is used for commerical purposes. There is also the issue of non-mariners having no idea how to keep from accidentally destroying very expensive stuff on a boat — or perhaps worse, clogging up the heads. And last but not least, Airb'Breta's fully-equipped galley. nb-ing may violate your berthing agreement and have the city you're in coming around looking for money. Be that as it may, we suspect the whole gamut of Airbnb and 'ride-sharing' services won't go away anytime soon. How did Wessbacher, originally from Santa Clara, make the Latitude Frugal Cruiser Hall of Fame? We'll let his quote from a 2000 edition of Latitude tell the story: "Having now covered 31,700 ocean miles and visited 35 countries with my Columbia 34 Mk II Breta, my boat and I are back in the United States. I fi nished the trip as I began it, singlehanded. But while enroute I had a total of 17 crewmembers, all of them vegetarians — and all of them female. Cynthia, a Dutch girl,

ERIK SIMONSON / WWW.PRESSURE-DROP.US

don't miss the reggae

A reminder that signups for the SoCal Ta-Ta II — aka 'Reggae 'Pon da Ocean' — began in mid-May, and already the entry roster has swollen to half of the 50-boat limit. So if the idea of zig-zagging down the SoCal coast with a fl eet of fun-loving cruisers sounds like your sort of summer getaway, make tracks to www.socaltata. com and lock in your spot. Dates for the Santa Barbara-toCatalina event are September 7-13, and it's open to boats over 27 feet that were designed, built and have been maintained for open ocean sailing. There will be stops along the way at Santa Cruz Island (two nights), Paradise

party 'pon da ocean

Cove, and Redondo Beach's King Harbor. The longest leg is 30 miles and the course requires no overnight sailing. If winds are anything like normal, there will be little if any upwind sailing. Our Kick-Off party this year will be at the Santa Barbara YC, and the fl eet will have reserved space in Santa Barbara Yacht Harbor. Check out the full schedule on the website. While you're sure to enjoy some fi ne sailing and make some new friends, the rally will also serve as great practice for future cruising. So grab some phony Rasta locks and join the fun.

— andy even lasted through the whole ugly Red Sea leg from Sri Lanka up to Israel. That 4,400 miles took 147 days. Susanne, a Swedish girl, did the Atlantic and the Caribbean with me, which was 3,400 miles and 109 days. Maus, my cat, accompanied me all the way around. I kept an exact record of all my expenses during my circumnavigation. In the four years, nine months and nine days it took me to sail from Puerto Vallarta to Puerto Vallarta, I spent an average of $14.66 a day. That's $445 a month, $5,350 a year, or a grand total of $25,300. I had budgeted $20 per day, so I completed the trip way under budget. Those numbers include every single expenditure. I did two bottom jobs, one in New Zealand and one in Thailand. I had no major breakdowns, and didn't fl y home." Wessbacher purchased the Columbia 34 for $10,000. He later bought a LaFitte 44, but has asked us not to inquire what's happened to that boat.

airbnb — continued

— richard

Beer Can racing in the Oakland-Alameda Estuary — what better way to spend a late spring evening? Warm enough for shorts and T-shirts, breezy enough to fl y big chutes. Sweet!